


Worlds Apart

by Kumakumakuma



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Cunnilingus, Dom Solas (Dragon Age), F/M, Named Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Pining Solas (Dragon Age), Praise Kink, Rough Sex, Sexual Solas (Dragon Age), Solas (Dragon Age) is Grim and Fatalistic, Solas Smut Saturday, Solas is Fen'Harel (Dragon Age), Sub Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 07:41:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumakumakuma/pseuds/Kumakumakuma
Summary: Virtue Trevelyan was everything Solas had come to despise. Solas was everything she was raised to reject.It was bound to happen.
Relationships: Solas/Female Trevelyan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 83





	1. One: redeux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I am now putting far more effort into this than originally intended. My smut has evolved. Please drop a kudos and definitely a comment I'd you enjoy

It was simply too much to bear.   
Virtue had managed to sneak away from the crowd at the Winter Palace, the air thick with merriment. She stood back and watched in distaste. She had been one of them, once. A self-absorbed noble with no real knowledge of life outside privilege. Sure, she had faced the hardships that many women faced. Silenced, pawed at, gawked at. But since coming to lead the Inquisition, she had realized how sheltered she had been.

Cool green eyes scanned the room. They landed on the elf apostate. He leaned against a statue, arms crossed, one ankle resting on the other. Though he did not look displeased, Virtue knew he was disgusted by the opulence. He had been quite clear on that as they had made their way to the Palace. She stared. He had been the one to help tend to her as she laid bruised and bloody after falling out of a rift. She had never truly spoken to an elf before she had met him, and knew it was frustrated him at first. But her neverending curiosity for his people and the Fade had endeared her to him. He looked so different in his formal wear, a stark contrast to the clothes he normally wore. It suited him, she thought as she looked. His light eyes flicked over to her and she quickly looked away, heart catching. She did not want to look up to see if he was watching her, as she had him. A small crowd passed and she walked with them before slipping onto a balcony. 

Virtue pressed her hands to the cool stone and looked out over the impressive gardens. She wondered if she would die if she threw herself over the side.

"Inquisitor, what are you doing out here?" Solas' voice rang through the crisp evening air. He walked so quietly she had not heard him at all.

"Clearing my head, reflecting," she said softly.   
"On what, if I might intrude?"  
Virtue sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.  
"I spent my life around other nobles, coming to extravagant parties not unlike this one. Now that I've been away...I realize how little I fit in with them." She opened her eyes and chuckled softly. "I'm surrounded by so many wonderful people in the Inquisition, but I've never felt more alone."  
"It's true, you don't. They're thuggish. Simple. Crude," he tilted his head to the side in thought. "But you have surprised me. You've shown uncharacteristic kindness towards elves and mages alike despite what you had been told of them all your life. I wonder why that is?"  
"I don't have the answer for you," she admitted.  
'I did not think you would. But regardless, you have done good things here tonight. It would not do well to end it so melancholic. So before the band stops, come! Dance with me." He held out a hand to her expectantly. Virtue eyed him suspiciously, then let her shoulders relax. Surely it could not hurt. She felt a smile creep across her lips as she took his hands and they began to dance slowly on the balcony.  
"You're light on your feet, Solas. Though I cannot say I'm surprised."  
"Oh?"  
"You weave magic effortlessly. I supposed that is a bit of a dance in and of itself."  
"You are astute," he chuckled.   
"I did not take you for a dancer though, I will admit. I did not think it would be something you enjoy," she said as they moved in a slow circle.  
"I would not have asked if I did not think it would be enjoyable," he responded.  
"Which is believable seeing as the music ended minutes ago now," her voice just above a whisper.

The sense of nervousness faded away, Virtue allowing her troubles to go with it. In the distance, thunder rolled. There would be a storm tonight.

She looked up, her long hair pulled back in an elaborate half-up style. What was not curled and pinned cascaded past her shoulders in dreamy waves. Their eyes met, and Virtue felt her chest flutter. They had become agreeable to one another, that much was true, but he was so close. So close and so warm, and his hazel eyes were locked on hers and his head was tilting down now and she let hers tilt up....

The warmth of his lips on hers was welcome in the cool air. They had stopped dancing, his hands let go of hers and dropped to her hips to pull her in close. They stopped, lips hovering close. She felt him dip in again, just catching her in a kiss when footsteps from.inside the palace approached.

"Inquisitor!" Dorian called as he stepped out onto the balcony. He did a double take as both her and Solas quickly pulled away. "I can see I'm interrupting something," he raised both eyebrows and crossed his arms with a look of pointed disapproval at Virtue.

"I was out here moping, be thankful Solas was the one I made listen to my moaning and not you," she brushed off.  
"Looks like he was going to hear you moaning regardless. Now come, there is something far more interesting I need you to attend to." Dorian nodded towards Solas and put out his arm for Virtue to take. She looped her elbow on his and walked with him, casting a look back to the apostate as they left. He stood still, his face drawn with little emotion.

It was a group of nobles that Dorian had been schmoozing with, showing off Virtue to them like a neat party trick. She loved Dorian dearly, but seethed quietly at his inopportune timing. 

"And what, pray tell, was that?" He hissed at her afterwards as he walked her to her room.  
"I think you may be mistaken as to what you saw, Dorian," she cautioned. He laughed heartily at her.  
"You're lucky it was myself and not Varric, the last thing we want is an overexagerrated account of whatever was happening there. Where do you think he would say your hands were?" He had a devilish glint in his eye as he gave her a playful nudge.  
"Dorian..." she said, a clear warning.   
"This is my stop, do find me at breakfast?" He leaned against the door but did not open it.  
Virtue cocked and eyebrow and smiled at him.  
"Funny, around here was where Bull is sleeping, is it not?"  
"Funny, a moment ago I caught you locking lips with the elf apostate, did I not?"  
"Goodnight, Dorian," she sauntered away, waving him off.  
'Goodnight, dearest."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got rid of the original first chapter. Now with a new, refreshing flavour.

A scent of lavender in the air. Solas walked in the Fade, up marble stairs and passed striking portraits until he found what he was searching for. 

"Come on then, don't be so shy," a man's voice, low.  
"That is quite enough, you're embarrassing yourself!"  
Virtue's voice ringing clear. Solas looked and saw them there in the hall. The man, looming over the woman who would become the Inquisitor, pulling at her arm with one hand and her dress with the other.  
"My father will-"  
"Your father's not here, is he though? I don't see him," the man laughed.  
Virtue turned in his grasp and managed to pull away, running down, past Solas and down the stairs. He followed her down and out into the gardens where a party was taking place. String music floating through the air cheerfully. 

"You are so dramatic," he heard a woman tell a visibly distressed Virtue. "Besides, he's quite handsome, it is truly a compliment."

He had seen enough for now. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, and found it just as garish as everything else in the damned place.  
It had not been long, rain was pounding against the glass, the sound of thunder rolling deeply in the sky. 

Kissing the Inquisitor had been a mistake. He had let the moment get the best of him and was dealing with the consequence. A shemlin, why? Why did she tempt him so? If there was one thing that drove him to the brink of madness, it was not being able to understand, and he was not able to understand why he allowed himself to kiss her. Or why he wanted to do it again.

Why. Why. Why? It pestered him. With a growl in his throat he stalked out of the room, fists clenched. 

\-----

Virtue took her hair down carefully as to not pull it. She had settled in the room and enjoyed a cup of tea to the sound of the pouring rain. She would be tired tomorrow for certain, but knew she could sleep in the carriage that Josephinne has insisted they take to the palace. 

People she had known her whole life pulled away at the sight of the Mark. Others pretended to be overly excited at her appearance, hanger-ons and nothing more. She would have been angrier, but instead she was confused. Had Solas truly kissed her, or had she kissed him? No, it had to have been him. She had thought of him before, sure, but had thought it was simply because there were few others around. Save for Cullen. And possibly Varric, he did make her laugh.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door that made her jump. She draped a silk robe over herself and held it closed to conceal her dainty smalls. Carefully, she opened the door.  
It was Solas.

They looked at one another, the moment heavy in the air. He stepped forward, she stepped back. The door closed.  
"Where were we," a question said as command before his mouth was hot and wanting on hers. 

On the bed he brought her beneath him. Virtue felt his mouth move from her mouth to her neck and one hand opening her robe.

His hands explored her very human body in all its curves and softness. The depth of her waist to the fullness of her toned ass. He sighed against the crook of her neck and freed himself with the hand that had just been massaging between her legs.

"Solas..." she whined as he pressed the tip of his hard cock to the warmth of her entrance.  
"Just once, give this to me. Satiate my shameful thirst," he whispered into her rounded ear in his people's language. She whimpered at the sound of his ancient tongue and it drove him wild.

With a quiet moan he filled her, Virtue clutched the bed sheet and pressed her forehead to his clothed shoulder. He was so determined in his pace, his breath quickly growing to a pant. Her hips came up to his as they found their rhythm, with Virtue wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

With one hand holding the back of her head and another hovering in the air, Solas weaved the Fade expertly to give her a more taste of the pleasure he knew he could give her. And in that moment, he wanted to give it to her. But he would not, she did not deserve it in her nobility. Yet he wanted to cherish her, break her, dominate her, worship her. Her pulse increased, he could feel it in his mouth and he kissed her slender, vulnerable neck. Rain fell in sheets against the glass amongst the sounds of their quiet sighs and moans.

"Solas, please..." her voice hitched as he ran the pad of his thumb across her clit with a hint of magic. With a gasp, Virtue felt her body overcome with pleasure so intense it was blinding.  
His thrusts slowed to become deeper and harder as she moaned into him. He felt her tighten in her orgasm, her whole body tensing and emptied himself in her with a sigh of relief. 

He spent little time remaining. With a kiss to her jaw he left the bed, straightening his outfit.  
"Thank you for dancing with me tonight, Solas."  
He did not turn to face her, but smiled lightly to himself.  
"Goodnight, Inquisitor. I do hope the dance helped to lift your spirits."

The thought of looking at her now meant he would simply fall back into bed with her. Solas made sure to close her door as softly as he could, he was certain eyes and ears would be lurking. 

It was done. He had allowed it, and now he would not do it again. 

Virtue lay in the bed, the rain still falling heavily outside. She would have never expected to lay with anyone tonight, least of all, Solas. But they had. 

It would certainly be interesting to see how this plays out, she mused to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Solas x Trevelyan trash for liffffeeee

"There, it looks lovely." The girl dropped her hands and admired the loose waterfall braid she had completed in the Inquisitor's hair. They sat on a chaise upholstered with rich velvet before the fireplace. 

"Thank you, Ingrid", Virtue touched the side of her head gently as Ingrid placed another log in the fire. The girl and her mother had come to Skyhold after their farm had been destroyed by a minor rift and its malevolent contents. She had taken to the Inquisitor quickly, and Virtue was happy to help the girl feel more comfortable. 

The great door leading to her quarters was closed carefully, the padding of feet on stone followed. She did not look.  
"Inquisitor," a man's voice.  
"Excuse us, I need to speak to Solas privately. Find me sometime tomorrow, okay?" She told Ingrid, smiling at her. The girl stood and hurried out, giving a small bow to him as she passed.

They looked at one another in quiet regard, Virtue sitting with her delicate hands folded in her lap. The light from the fire cast shadows on her face that highlighted her fine bone structure. She wore a simple linen shift for bed.

"Would you like to sit?" She asked, gesturing to the space on the chaise that Ingrid had just occupied.  
"I should stand. I won't take too much if your time," Solas replied curtly.  
'You've come to tell me what a terrible mistake you've made," she concentrated on the fire now. The only sound was the regular crack of wood as it burned, the occasional sound of sap popping.  
"There is too much at stake for us to get distracted," Solas began.  
"You insult me," Virtue stated plainly, cutting him off. "You took what you wanted and now refuse the courtesy of sitting when you come to rub it in my face."  
Solas marched over and sat, keeping his voice level but feeling anger bloom in his gut. He leaned forward, staring at Virtue hard. She looked beautiful, her skin smooth and the scent of the lilac and lavender oils that had perfumed her bathwater hanging in the air between them.  
"Corypheus is not to be trifled with. We act with abandon and we put ourselves at risk."

Virtue scoffed. "And nothing to do with my being human," she looked toward the fire and smiled softly to herself.  
"Tell me this: what compelled you that day, Solas? Was it something you had thought before? Tell me truthfully. Because you seemed quite eager."

He considered her as she watched his face, but he was acutely aware of how he needed to present himself.  
"You interest me. Everything you are, everything you are not. How someone such as yourself came to be involved with this. The life you lived prior to being the Inquisitor," he spoke frankly, leaning back into the chaise looking into the fire as well.He didn't want to reveal too much. How he had thought of her before that. Thought of her on her knees in front of him as he showered in her in praise. Because he wanted to praise her just as much as he wanted to punish her, find some comfortable place in between to indulge. 

"We are on the brink of destruction, we could wake up and the world as we know it could be gone. Could, Solas, not for certain but it is a possibility. So here we are, we can take our comfort in each other's arms knowing that if that night is our last, it won't be alone." She leaned forward and placed a gentle hand to his cheek, speaking softly and genuinely to him. He did not move away. "Does that sound so terrible?"  
"And when it's over?" Solas asked, lifting a lock of her hair between his fingers and twirling it coyly.  
"Then you go back to sleeping in the forest and in caves and I'll be married off to some life of banality."  
"You've resigned yourself to that."  
"Just my way of saying that I'd rather not worry about it now."  
Their foreheads touched, she looked at him up through long, black eyelashes. He kissed her, coaxing her tongue past her lips with his. He placed his hands on her her hips and pulled her up, she swung a leg over and straddled him, resting comfortable in his lap.  
"I bet you've been a real heartbreaker with those lips," Virtue mused and wiped the pad of her thumb across the bottom of his lip. She didn't care if he was, just to have him to herself even for a short time was enough.  
"That does not seem to dissuade you," he retorted and dropped his hands to her side, sliding his hands under her thighs and cupping her supple ass in his palms. He squeezed and jiggled the handfuls of her soft flesh pleasantly, closing his eyes and biting his bottom lip.  
"The risk is worth the reward," she kissed him again. "I want to know what you want, and I want to be the one who gives it to you."  
"I want to feel your mouth on me," he admitted and grit his teeth as she circled her hips in his lap. She lowered herself down to her knees between his legs, Solas placing a hand on her head to guide her. He was achingly hard when she took out his hard cock and ran her tongue up on the shaft teasingly. With a sharp breath in between his teeth he pushed down so she would take him in her mouth, the vibrations from her soft moans decadent.

Solas weaved his fingers through her hair and used just enough force to make her work a little harder. There was a flicker of dark desire that wanted to make her choke on him, punish her for making him want her. How sweet it would be to lay his other hand on top and thrust into her throat, or to stand up and use her mouth until the tears ran down her cheeks. She would love it, and he would make her. That indomitable will of hers reduced to a tool for his relief, just the thought made him harder. He bit the tip of his tongue to remain composed.  
"Good girl," he praised, his voice dusky. 

Looking over her shoulder he could see that her shift had ridden up, exposing her ass as she knelt in front of him. He tugged the shift up, giving her a moment of respite to pull it over her head and throw it aside. Their last tryst she had been mostly clothed, and he now could revel in the 

"Lay on the bed," he instructed, taking her chin in his hand and tilting it up so he could meet her eyes. Virtue complied, slowly raising up but keeping her eyes on his. Virtue wanted to tantalize him, he wanted her bad and she intended to make him work for it. 

"Do you remember that dinner we went to in Val Royeaux, with those Royan dignitaries?" She asked as she walked backwards toward the bed, pulling the lower part of his tunic as she went.  
"I do. I remember that pompous noble trying to seduce you all night."  
It had taken place the month before, she had brought him and Vivienne along do their song and dance for the ultra rich in hopes they would support the Inquisition. 

"Were you jealous? I saw you watching, you were practically salivating." She teased, wrapping her arms around his lean shoulders and pressing her naked body to the fabric of his clothing. It was true, while everyone else chatted drunkenly he had sat across watching her intently. Virtue had felt his eyes on her, and in return she made sure to let the noble think he had a chance. The man was promising her every luxury as Solas watched with a possessive glint in his eye.  
"He would not be able to satisfy you," he promised her with a kiss to her delicate wrist before laying her on the bed. He undid the knot of rope around his waist and let it fall. "He did not deserve to try."

He lifted his tunic to reveal the firm muscles beneath. Pulling the tunic over his head, he dropped it aside, the fabric of his bottoms pilling atop it. His body was roped with lean muscle, the kind from using the body in practical ways and a lean diet.  
"Maker, have mercy," she whimpered.  
"It is not the Maker who shows you mercy tonight," he whispered darkly as he lifted her hips up and pressed the tip of his cock to her wet entrance.  
"Solas, please," she asked and he watched with delight at the urgency in her cadence.  
"What was it you were saying about mercy, pet?"  
"That I pray you'll show me some."  
He filled her, drinking in the sound of the cry she tried to stifle. He played with the thought of letting her feel every bit of anger and shame that crossed his mind mixed with the pleasure and desire that plagued him. She did not yet know what it meant to be shown mercy, and maybe he would show her. Not tonight, tonight he would get her addicted to his touch until it consumed every thought. No man would ever compare, he would make it so. He loved to collect, and tonight he would add her to his curiosities. Maybe she thought she was in control, and he would let her. For there would be no fun in making it simple, and now Solas wanted to know how far he could make it go.

Virtue wanted to please him more than anything. He was expressly not her type and yet she was overwhelmed with the need to be everything he wanted her to be. She could match wits with him clothes but once again she had succumbed to the desire to curry his approval. 

He placed his hand to her head and Virtue felt like she was floating. Every fear and worry dissipated until all that was left was Solas and only Solas. She sighed with pleasure as he drove himself into her. His moans were almost inaudible, as if he were trying to mask how much he was enjoying himself, but his body told her differently. He lifted one of her legs and hiked it over his shoulder to take her more deeply, using his other hand to play with her clit. Virtue let his name spill out from her lips repeatedly as she had done before, a call for him to continue. Every stroke of his cock had been intensified by whatever magic he had used on her.

"That's right, come for me," he coaxed between breaths, both his hands holding her hips up, pulling her towards him as he thrust faster. Virtue was on the edge, she wanted to cry with pleasure it felt so good. Her mind was totally empty save for the bliss of impending release. He dropped her leg from his shoulder and leaned forward just enough to watch her, propping himself up with one arm. She was sighing with sweet relief, her legs wrapped around his waist and her hands tangled in the sheets beneath her naked body. He drank in the sight of her, her firm, round breasts bouncing to match the force of his thrusting, and the glisten of sweat on her brow. 

He came with a final groan, letting himself be drained until he removed himself from her. Virtue had closed her eyes, some of her hair plastered to her face with sweat. Leaning, Solas kissed her on the mouth before quietly dressing. She did not protest, and she would not dare ask him to stay even though she wanted him to. Instead, she watched as he looped the cord of his tunic and tied it deftly, straightening out any loose parts. 

"Good night, Solas," she said.  
"Good night, Inquisitor," he said back.


	4. The Fade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry about any grammar issues just enjoy some smut with a heavy dose of Back On My Bullshit. Recommended listening is Touched by VAST and You Look So Fine by Garbage

The dinner before them was the definition of exquisite. Roasted pheasant dressed with cranberries, figs rolled with cheese and drizzled with honey, food that were rich of taste and blood. Virtue laughed and covered her mouth in an act of deliberate shyness. Her suitor or the night red in the cheeks from too much wine.

"And when this is all over I'll bring you back to my estate, an entire wing of the house to yourself." He had made that promise and more, one heavy hand on her knee. He was a good looking man with dark hair and light eyes. His broad chest under a well-tailored jacket. Lord Adrau, tall, muscular, and with a strong jaw; just the way she liked her men. Not unlike Cullen, her military adviser. But Cullen was not here at the Val Royeaux dignitary supper that Josephine had arranged. No, the Commander turned up his perfect little nose at the idea of such an event. Instead, Solas sat across from her. He was the most palatable out of the others, along with Vivienne who was made to wine and dine rich suckers. 

Virtue could feel Solas' hazel eyes fixed on her. He was normally so discreet, as if she hadn't noticed that way his gaze trailed after her in hungry curiosity. He piqued her interest, and she enjoyed talking to him as he painted, their conversations bordering on an hours long ego stroke for the older elf.

"And what else would you give me?" She playfully said to the man. She wanted to give Solas something to watch.  
"Come with me tonight and find out," he said low and slid his hand up her thigh. Virtue placed her hand on his and moved it back.   
"I'd rather wait until all this is through, a prize for all my hard work?" She saw the corner of Solas' mouth twitch. Lord Adrau simpering as if he had come out on top. Virtue was certain he would happily empty his pockets now.

Conversations died as the wealthy attendees needed to be carried off to bed. Vivienne retired early, but Solas waited for Virtue to leave the table, the two chatting as they walked.

"You are adept at the game," he complimented her, his hands clasped behind his back.  
"Oh, that was just banter. Something felt off though, as if-" she stopped walked. "Solas..."  
He smirked and stopped next to her. He turned and she stepped back, following he pressed his body to hers against the wall.  
"Is something wrong, Inquisitor?" He whispered. "You mentioned how you noticed me watching. Now you'll know what I was thinking after."  
"This is the Fade?" She asked. "How..."  
"Would you understand if I told you?" He scoffed and brushed her cheek with the back if his hand. "My pretty little noble pet," her murmured in her ear and playfully ran the the tip of his tongue across the rounded, human top.  
"I'm not stupid," Virtue protested loudly.  
"Of course you're not, but why trouble that pretty head with it?" He tipped her chin up with his thumb and nipped her bottom lip between his teeth.   
"Why do you always tease me?" She whimpered.  
"Because I want to."  
"You're even more brazen here in the Fade, Solas," she said as he twisted the knob to the door behind her and walked her back into the room.   
"I've always found it a little easier to relax here," he busied himself with the fancy dress jacket he had been given to wear. "Did you think about your precious Lord that night?" He asked as he finished undressing. She let her hair cascade down, it was the colour of amber in the fire light. "Did you think about him on top of you?" Solas' hands found purchase on the curve of her hip.  
"No!" She gasped.   
"What did you think about? With how rosy your cheeks were from wine, I don't doubt you found some way to entertain yourself," he purred.   
"I thought about you for the first time," she breathed as he slid two fingers into her.  
"You're lying," he hissed and curled his finger with a touch of electricity that made her squeal.  
"I'm not, I did. I saw you watching me. I had too much to drink."  
"And?" He had stopped, intent to hear her answer.  
"I wondered what room you were in. I fantasized that I knocked on your door and that you had me on the bed."  
Solas closed his eyes, her confession like sweet music. He laid on the bed and urged her on top of him. Virtue took a steep breath as she lowered herself onto his cock, watching Solas' face relax and his eyes close with the relief of her body.

It was dangerous, what they were doing and Solas recognized that. Only a week ago he had taken her over his desk, then in her bed. He found himself longing for it more, for the sweet warmth of her mouth to the way she smelled. But she could not be his, and he had to remember it. He was getting lost in the saccharine praise she would drench him with even now.

"Solas, you're so amazing," her breath hitched and she rolled her head to the side. She was straddled on his lap, his stiff length buried in her. The Inquisitors soft hands used his hard stomach for leverage as she rode him. He grabbed one of her breasts, it filled his hand and then some. 

"Yes, Vhenan, good." He murmured tenderly. He arched his hips in shallow thrusts to meet hers. Vhenan. Why had it slipped so easily? But it felt so good to say. "Vhenan," he said again, affirming it to himself. 

Virtue leaned closer and felt his hand creep up and wrap over her throat. He squeezed just hard enough to feel good; his face fixed, rapt. His full lips parted as he repeated the word to her with increasing, desperate frequency. She would ask him what it meant later. Now all she could focus on was keeping the rhythm of her hips in time with his. 

"I need you, Solas," she cried. "I'll do anything, anything, just stay with me." She was begging between gasps from the pleasure that washed over her. Suddenly, he rolled her down onto her back and thrust hard back in.  
"Again," he commanded in her ear.   
"I need you, please let me be yours," she continued to plead as he picked the pace up again. "Please, my love." She sobbed as her body was overwhelmed with pleasure.  
He came hard inside her, letting out an audible breath out as he collapsed against her. 

Virtue sat up like a shot in bed, looking around wildly to her large, empty bed. She sighed and laid back. Staring as her ceiling, she thought about what had just transpired. 

In the dark, quiet room, the door latching and locking seemed to echo. Virtue sat up as Solas ascended to her. She did not say anything, and he returned the silence. She laid back down and rolled to her side to face away from him. Behind her was the sound of clothing being removed. She felt the weight of him entering the bed, then felt his arm loop over her slender waist. Virtue felt his lips meet her ear.  
"Goodnight, Vhenan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END???? I MEAN I could probably bang out another chapter


	5. Chapter 5

It had happened again. And again and again and again after that. 

They would meet discreetly and have one another whenever circumstance allowed. Virtue had to be mindful of switching up who accompanied her on Inquisition business as to not rouse suspicion. Solas understood; in fact it had been his idea. 

Virtue would tempt him when he did go with her. Once while walking in forest they had ducked behind an overgrown statue as Cole wandered off on his own, she began to fuss with his tunic.  
"No. Not here, Vhenan," he said warily, pushing her hands away.

"Relax, love," she purred and dropped to her knees in front of him. He found it impossible to resist her busy hands and the way her eyes shone with mischief. 

"Good, vhenan," he had later murmured as he stroked the last of his come out into her waiting mouth when he had finished, the palm of his hand on her forehead, keeping her head tilted back. Quietly they found Cole, continuing on their way.

If she was gone for long periods, he would find her in the Fade, following the scent of lavendar that seemed to cling to her skin. There, she was his and only his, and he was more liable to exercise less restraint. The concept of time in the Fade was not like that in waking life. There he would slowly bring her to the edge of climax, just to stop and then it do over again. By the time he would finish, she would have blissful tears running down her face, her voice hoarse from begging him for the release she craved.

There was a perverse enjoyment he took from seeing the Herald of Andraste completely devoted to him. She was no vessel of the gods that he did not believe in, she was just a human and she belonged to him. He considered her stupid in the ways that mattered. She didn't know anything about the world outside her doorstep but could recite historical dates of importance. She was intelligent in other ways, like diplomatic conversation and was expert in rubbing elbows with the wealthy who would supply the Inquisition with much needed munitions. 

Sometimes he would watch her as she slept, how delicate she was in her nudity and in the comfort of her bed. It could not last, would not last, but he had decided against his better judgement to continue. 

Virtue was certain that every time would be the last, yet Solas seemed content to return. He would pour Elven phrases over her, sometimes so soft that she wondered if he was saying anything at all. It simply didn't matter, just to hear his musical voice and feel the minute vibrations of his words was enough; the slightest hint of his lips dancing across her collarbone that made her shudder pleasantly. At first, he would always leave quickly and quietly after, facing away from her as he tightened the rope around his waist. It did not bother her, she was thankful for the distraction. But now he would sometimes sneak to her quarters and hold her the entire night. She cherished those occurrences, welcoming the warmth his lean body gave her, and awakening to him caressing her face lovingly. His love was different from what he gave her in the Fade. In her bed he was attentive, gentle. He would cradle her head with his hand and kiss her tenderly while rocking his hips smoothly against hers. In the Fade, he took her with a hunger that could not be satisfied, away from prying eyes and ears.

She had traveled with Dorian and Iron Bull, leaving her lover to watch inconspicuously as they rode away. It had pained her, but he had insisted.

Their excursion had been prosperous, though Virtue had quickly picked up that Dorian and Iron Bull had something of their own going on and felt like a third wheel for the greater portion. She felt as if the Maker was punishing her for her actions with Solas. While not particularly pious, she could not help but feel the butt of some cosmic joke.

As they had packed up camp to return to Skyhold, a squad Venatori Stalkers ambushed them. Exhausted, Virtue struggled. She was thankful for her companions who held their own. She walked away with a sharp, deep cut from a dagger on her side, in the middle her ribs. She had fallen to the ground, clutching the wound as it bled. Dorian stopped the bleeding easily enough, bandaging her and cleaning the wound, Bull having even carried her gingerly at one point. 

By the second day of travel, Virtue's skin had gone pallid and clammy, it came to a head one morning when she simply slid off the side of her mount and crashed to the ground. They set up camp while she rested, delaying their return. And when they did, she still felt lethargic. She smiled tightly at those who welcomed them, admitting to Josephine that she needed help to her quarters. The younger woman walked casually with her, looping her arm around Virtue's to hold her up subtly. Once the Inquisitor was safely in bed, she disappeared. 

Not long after, Virtue heard the sound of footsteps ascending with haste to her quarters. She knew that gait anywhere.  
Keeping her eyes closed, she lifted her hand to wave. Solas sat next to her bed on a low stool.  
"You were gone a long time. I overheard Dorian say you were injured," he said.  
"Venatori dagger. I was sloppy and paid the price," she admitted.  
"I could have healed you myself if you had brought me," he spoke with an undertone of anger to his voice. His voice reeking of regret.  
"Dorian did heal me, he said its normal for some residual illness, I'll be okay. I just need rest," she opened her eyes and looked at him, his mouth drawn tightly.  
"Dorian is not a healer," he reminded her. "Let me see the wound." He pulled the blanket back and saw the bandage, peeling it away carefully. He clicked his tongue.  
"Dorian would have needed to use his skills as a necromancer had you waited any longer to come back," he said as he hovered a hand over the wound, a pale yellow aura warming her. She felt the wound change as if fresh, cool water had been poured over. He took his hand away and laid the bandage on the floor.  
"Let it have some air, it won't take long to heal." He prescribed.  
'Thank you, Solas. I do appreciate it."  
"There's no need to thank me," he said, sitting back and tightening his posture. "You should sleep, it will help you get your strength back."  
"Stay with me," she asked and placed her hand on his forearm.  
"Of course, Vhenan."

She slept and slept. Mother Giselle would come and Solas would assure her he had everything under control, to the older womans dismay. He watched her resting, her hair fanned out below her. She looked like a princess, he thought. The angle of her high cheek bones, the length of her dark eye lashes. But she was different than when they had first met. Her skin no longer pale from a life that afforded her no labour under the unforgiving sun, it was now a rich tan that made her light eyes stand out. The muscles in her body more formed from the hard work she put into learning how to handle a weapon. Solas caressed her cheek with a sadness that he could not place. She was his and it was the sweetest thing of all but it, like everything in his life, was but fleeting. 

For now, he had decided to make his peace with their unlikely coupling. He felt stronger, more certain of himself when he held her in his arms. He climbed into the bed and sat with his back against the sturdy headboard, he sat in thought of the times that were coming, as uncertain as they were.

But for now, she was his and he would drink the sweetness of her love until circumstances dictated otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that's all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight preferred listening for this chapter are as follows. WHAT, IT HELPS SET THE MOOD.  
> Walking wounded- the tea party  
> Closer-nine inch nails  
> Black black heart- david usher  
> Faunts- M4

It needed to end, and he knew it. He had let it go on too long and was paying for it. Months now, almost a year. Countless times their bodies had tangled in sweet lovers sweat and moans. Virtue Trevelyan, leader of the Inquisition, human, Vhenan. He hated her, he loved her. He wanted to both make her feel his anger and steal her away to some secret place, far from the world he was ready to tear down. He was not Fen'Harel when he was with her, he was Solas, and it tore him apart. He placed in thought. It was too late, he needed to wait until they defeated Corypheus before he could move forward. If he broke it off now, she might lose the tenacity for their cause that charmed their allies and rallied their troops. But she could not know him truly, he scoffed in disgust at himself for allowing it to happen at all. He squeezed his eyes shut and all he could see was her.

"Why you, why you?" He would interrogate her in his ancient tongue during the throes of passion, one hand rough in her hair as he thrust into her. She, of course, could not answer. He would not teach her, he could not bear to hear her shemlin tongue butcher those precious words. Instead he let her cry and beg as she lay beneath him. Where she belonged.

Normally, he would go between shadows in the darkness to sneak into her room, but he was tempted to shed the discreet agreement they had come to and march directly in front of the damned throne in the great hall, let them see. Let them see the Dread Wolf marching to his prized possession; their precious Herald. No. Foolish. Bold. Traits that had costly him dearly in the past that he would not succumb to, not like this. Lack of impulse had gotten into enough of a mess already. It was close enough that Vivienne had almost caught them together at one point, Solas moving his hands to make it look like he was positioning Virtue as he taught her rift magic. 

The truth was, she had become more than a release physically, Solas had surprised himself at how she made him truly feel. How when they discussed why it was integral that nobody know of their relationship she admitted the rich noble humans may retract support if they found out. And damn her, it hurt him. "I'm being realistic, that does not mean I believe it, but their minds are so small," she had said, her eyebrows angling in sadness as she looked away. She made him feel fear and rage after a brush with a Venatori stalker, and again when she was struck to the ground in a violent blow by a Red Templar. How he had made the fool pay. Worst of all, he felt light when he saw the way sun looked on her face, and how her full lips seemed to move more slowly when she called his name. And oh sweet bliss, that ass.

So he traveled quietly as he always did, until he came to her door. He heard the sound of water being pushed as he climbed the steps and saw she was in the bath across the room, behind a carved divider with painted canvas depicting swirls of colourful flowers. Softly, he crept until he could see her. His resolve seemed to disappear.

\------‐--------------  
"Would you like me to warm your water?"

Virtue jumped. He loved to surprise her. Turning, she smiled.  
"Please," she answered. Solas sat on the low stool next to the tub and dipped his hands into the tepid water and suddenly, Virtue felt the temperature rise comfortably. She sighed happily and slid further into the tub. He scooped a palm full of water and massaged it into her hair, the smell of the perfumed oil clung to her hair and skin.  
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" She teased as he gathered her hair and braided it loosely over the edge of the tub.  
"I just wanted to see you."

He had opened her world and she loved him for it. All her life, Virtue had been sheltered. Elves were slaves, they were less than her and her family. She had always questioned it, but lacked the confidence to champion against it. When she had met Solas, she almost couldn't help but to stare, to listen. She asked him question after question and he had humoured her. Curiosity to cautious friendliness, cautious friendliness to kindness. Kindness to want. Want to need. 

She rose in the water, running the excess off her body with her palms. Stepping out, he hovered his hands over her damp naked body and dried her slowly. He took his time, catching her lips in playful kisses as he moved. 

With a palm to his chest, she pushed him back, the elf stumbling slightly. Virtue breezed passed him and let herself fall back on the bed before sitting up, dragging her teeth over her lower lip.

Virtue could feel his light eyes moving over the deep curve of her hip and beckoned him closer. He was undressing, and Virtue felt her need for him growing. His pale stomach was smooth and muscled beneath the fabric of his tunic. He was like secret only she knew. She could not help but to see him as anything other than magnificent as he watched her drinking up the deliberate way he slowly took his clothing off. how had she not seen it right away? She could never compare another man to Solas, especially a human.

Watching with eager anticipation, Virtue had to stop herself from whimpering impatiently as he positioned himself so his head was between her thighs.

He was agonizing in his pace, his eyes locking on hers as he dragged his tongue up her slit. She let low a sharp hiss as he flicked his tongue against the tip of her clit.   
"M-," she caught herself, knowing he would punish her if she cried out to the Maker. Last time he refused to put himself inside her, clicking his tongue and depriving her with sadistic glee. "My love," she said instead. 

Ever skilled with his tongue, Virtue felt him drawing her close to the edge of the sweet pleasure she sought. Her thighs tight at the sides of his head, she rolled her hips as he pleasured her with his mouth. 

"I need you, Solas," she breathed after taking her fill of his mouth between her legs. He kissed along her thighs and stroked himself quickly before he climbed atop, running his lip over his top lip hungrily.

She moaned softly as he entered her with a quiet sigh. Virtue wondered what went through his head when they were together. Often he would speak Elven to her, murmuring into her ear. Questions, praise, she could tell by his cadence usually. He seemed pensive tonight, as he often was. With his forehead pressed to the pillow beneath her head, he panted into her hair as he thrust, hands wandering her body with purpose. She dragged her fingertips across the width of his shoulders, moving her hips in time with his.

Everything about their arrangement excited and frustrated Virtue. The secrecy was titillating but tiresome. His treatment of her fluctuating between aloof and tenderly attentive. Sometimes he would use her roughly, sometimes he would ovingly tell her all the precise ways he adored her body. Virtue was content with either.

His pace began to quicken, his palms rough on her hips. Virtue gripped him and kissed across his collarbone. He began to roll, pulling her with him so that they traded places. Without skipping a beat she rode him, letting her head fall back and bringing her arms bent behind her head.  
"Solas," she breathed as he ran magic laden hands all over her body. She closed her eyes and whimpered as she climaxed, relief washing over her so powerfully that she fell forward against him.   
"Ar lath ma, Vhenan," Solas replied. "Ir abelas, vhenan."   
He finished, holding her tight, their bodies slick with sweat. 

"After this is done, I'll renounce my titles. The wealth, the extravagance, I want none of it, I just want you." She said, looking into his eyes up through her long lashes.  
"We can can start again," she added and pressed her hand to his cheek. He took it and placed a gentle kiss to the tip of her middle finger.   
"If only, Vhenan," he replied sadly.  
"Then just keep me for now, and know that I'm yours," she rested her head in the crook of his neck and closed her eyes. 

It was a cloudless night, the full moon casting the room in blues. Solas pressed his closed mouth to Virtue's temple as she slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End scene.  
> Anywayyyyy I feel I have another chapter in me if anyone is interested. But like, please tell me and validate me, I am driven by that and that alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Virtue's stomach was in knots. She wrung her hands, fretting aimlessly as she lay on her bedroll.  
Solas had left them after the confrontation that had brought them to the Exalted Plains in the first place. He had told her his friend, a spirit, had called to him for help. She didn't understand how. She didn't understand why. Even with the damned anchor she still could not parse conversations on the Fade. All she understood was the way he looked at her and spoke with haste, and she knew she needed to help him.

It took all of her willpower to stop from revealing their relationship to Blackwall and Sera, who had journeyed with them. When Solas' eyes flared with rage and how Virtue had to all but hold him back. She wanted to settle him with her love, give him sweet reprieve and feel the pain for him.

"Solas! Solas, stop! Listen to me." She had placed her hands to his cheeks and looked into his eyes, his jaw firmly clenched. His anger had frightened her, she had never seen him look so dangerous. His hands crackled with arcane energy, making the hair on her arms stand up. 

"Inquisitor, please!" He had said, in a tone she had never heard in all their private moments. The urgency of it. With a solemn nod, Virtue turned away.  
"Do what you must. I do not wish to see," was all she said before returning to where they had set up camp. Solas did not return to Skyhold with them.

She thought passively of the first time she felt his body against hers. Long before they kissed, longer before they had laid together. Virtue had been pacing the small area of her sleeping quarters in Haven when Cassandra had come to speak with her. Her steely eyes watching with concern.  
"It is the mark that troubles you," Cassandra stated.   
"It hurts so badly," Virtue responded through gritted teeth. She did not want to cry in front of Cassandra. The woman was so strong, and Virtue felt so weak, perpetually cowering behind Cassandra in battle.  
"I shall fetch Solas, he is the one who will know what is best," and with that, Cassandra left.  
At the time he was just an elf in the Inquisiton. She was curious about him, but nothing more.

Upon return, Solas marched in brusquely with Cassandra in tow. Virtue looked to him, dark circles beneath her tired eyes.  
"Let me see," he prompted, holding out his hand. As she reached out, she cleared her throat to speak.

'I--haaaah.." Virtue felt the mark pulse with searing energy and collapsed forward, falling against him. Solas held her up, one hand tightly wrapped around the wrist of her left hand.   
"It hurts!" She groaned, cheek pressed hard into his chest.  
"Easy, just relax," he coaxed her down onto her bed and healed her with ease. The overwhelming heat she felt subsided and Virtue breathed a sigh of blessed relief. He managed to be so gentle.  
"Thank you, Solas."   
He sat with her through that night.

She turned in her bed roll to face the clear night sky. Crickets chirped all around them, the leaves turned in the wind pleasantly. It would have made for a peaceful sleep under normal circumstances.

"He told us not to wait for him," Blackwall said solemnly upon returning to the camp earlier in the day.

"Right, you should've seen it, they were all 'wahhhh!'" Sera dramatically clawed at the air, Blackwall held his hand up as a signal to stop as Virtue made a disgusted noise and looked away. It was not how she wanted to know the man she had been sharing a bed with in secret.

For their journey back to Skyhold, she laughed placidly at Sera's jokes but not much else, attributing her lack of energy to exhaustion from the Mark when asked. When they finally returned, she sulked to her quarters with the same excuse, nobody daring to question it. It had thankfully been a legitimate reason in the past, so there was no reason to be suspicious of otherwise. Though Virtue could not help but feel Bull's skeptical gaze. 

"You'd think she was polishing Solas' knob the way she's been pouting. Not that he'd take his head out his own arse to bother with a lowly human," Sera muttered to Blackwall, assuming a mocking affectation with the latter of her sentence.   
"His loss," Blackwall gave Sera an elbow to the bicep playfully.  
"I'll say."

When he did finally return, news of Virtue being exhausted from the Mark reached Solas quickly. He strode to her quarters, not bothering to knock. For who, he wondered, could possibly be more important than him?  
"Where were you?" She demanded, arms crossed tightly across her chest. Angry roses blossoming in her cheeks.   
"I had business to attend to." He said plainly.  
"That is not how we operate and you know this." She looked away from him. "I was frightened.'  
"Why?" He asked, crossing to her.  
"Because I love you, damn it! And when you just dissapear, I worry for you!" She hissed.  
"I do not owe you my constant whereabouts," he narrowed his light eyes at her.  
"Then I command it of you as your leader!"  
Virtue took a sharp breath in through her nose. She looked at him, her eyes wild in the sea of his calm.

The heat of his mouth on hers so abruptly made Virtue gasp. He pulled her hard against him, the tips of his fingers pressing the skin of her back. She kissed him back hard, hands on his face, daring him to try and pull away. He did not. Instead, he held her even harder, unsure if he was angry or not. 

There was a loud knock. Solas and Virtue pushed one another away and she called for the person at the door to enter. He turned to face the wall as she straightened her back and clasped her hands at her waist.   
"Inquisitor, Josephine is looking for you," the young elf said, giving a slight bow.  
Virtue squeezed her eyes shut impatiently.

"I'm glad you've returned, I'd like a full report later," Virtue said stiffly and followed the messenger out. As she left, Virture gave a discreet look over her shoulder, a slight turn of the cheek. Just enough for her to see Solas doing the same.


	8. Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the kiss that sent both Virtue Trevelyan and Solas down the path of their affair, there was Haven.

"Solas, how are you?" Virtue smiled politely and nodded to the man as she approached. She had just come from Adan, an armful of elfweed and other herbs dropped off to him.  
"Lady Trevelyan," he replied, returning a slight nod. "I'm well, and yourself?"  
Virtue wrinkled her fine nose. "No, don't call me that, please." She leaned against the low stone wall, palms cool as she relaxed. "I'm not so sure I'm a Lady anymore, even."  
"What does you family think of you being declared the Herald of Andraste? Your family is quite close to the Chantry, I have learned." He crossed his arms as he spoke. The woman was as pampered as they come, the baby of her noble family. She required a spectacular amount of protection in the field, the only saving grace being that she could handle a bow with some adequacy.  
"I only just had the courage to write them. Either they'll use it for their own gain or disown me," she looked away at the latter part, brushing light brown hair behind her ear. She looked beautiful in her sadness, no one could deny it.   
"I feel quite lost, I must admit. And even moreso trying to learn to be effective in combat. I'm thankful for those of you much more experienced than myself."  
"You seem to have learned quickly with using the mark to close rifts. You've trained will to do that without having come into magic, your indomitable focus is an enjoyable side benefit."  
"Indomitable focus?" She chuckled and broke into a smile.  
"Presumably," he cocked his head to the side in thought. "I have yet to see it dominated. I imagine the sight would be...fascinating."  
Virtue felt goosebumps on her arms, attributing it to the cold.   
"Lady Trevelyan!" Called someone from down by the pub. She pushed herself up from the wall.  
"I guess I won't know until I find someone capable of dominating it," she playfully winked at Solas. "Good day, I enjoy our talks, Solas." She left, attending to the one who had called her. Solas watched her go. 

Days later she had found him again, approaching timidly. The cool air of the Frostbacks reddened her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Her eyes looked especially bright against the white of the snow. Fat snowflakes fell, catching in her eyelashes and hair as she waved to him politely.  
"I was hoping to learn more about you. About everyone." She smiled.  
"What would you like to know?" He asked. Virtue laughed.  
"Everything. Maybe I don't fight well, but I was privileged in education. I'm at least smart enough to know there is much I don't know, and certainly very little about your people." She paused, mouth open in a smile pointed to the ground as she gathered her words. "The cities, the people. Your connection to the Fade."   
Taken aback by her curiois enthusiasm, Solas laughed in surprise.   
"You continue to individualize yourself from the humans I have met. You're different."  
"I told the others I would join them for a drink later since we have a moment to catch out breath, but I would love to talk now, if you are free," Virtue said.  
With a nod, they walked along the shore just outside the gates of Haven. He spoke at length, answering whatever questions she had as they went. After a while they circled back to the gates, Solas plucking a flower growing between the rocks and handing it to Virtue. She smiled and took it, twirling it to appreciate its delicate petals.

"Come with me to see the others?" She asked. He thought for a moment before nodding slightly.  
"I suppose it would be good to get to know some of our companions a little better. You have certainly put in the effort."

When Virtue entered the small building where they had gathered to share a drink, she was met with applause. Flustered, she bowed forward and then stood with her hands raised. Between Sera and the Iron Bull she sat, Solas taking a seat further down the table beside Blackwall.

"And this one, on the Storm Coast," Bull laughed heartily and pointed to Virtue. "Looks at us with big eyes and asks where we're going to sleep!"   
In response, Virtue laughed bashfully and waved a hand at him.  
"Solas was kind enough to show me how to sleep comfortably as I could on the hard ground while you laughed. I won't forget that, Bull."  
Bull wagged a hefty finger at her. "Solas laughed too! Cassandra was the only one polite enough not to."  
"I would say he chuckled rather than laughed," Virtue corrected.  
"Now you see why I call him that," Varric piped up.  
The lot roared with laughter. They had earned it. Virtue pushed in her drained cup of wine. She let her gaze wander up and her eyes met Solas'. She smiled slightly, feeling quickly uncertain when she saw that he held an expression she could not quite place.

"Saw that you came in with Solas, were you treated to one of his lectures?" Sera sneered as she walked alongside her and Cassandra back to the small cabin they shared as quarters.  
"I asked, actually," Virtue admitted. Sera scrunched her face and stuck out her tongue.   
"Ugh, you're not going to go all heavy on the elfy shite too, are you?" She asked. Virtue wrapped her arms tightly across her chest for warmth.  
"Only to bother you, my darling," she joked. Sera dismissed her with a rude gesture.

It was not long before the bells warning of an army marching on Haven would awaken her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda want to do some vignette type chapters that have the build up to the kiss. Possibly reorder some afterwards. Enjoy!


	9. Solas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts of a wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly the song The Package by A Perfect Circle is Solas af

The more I allowed, the more desperate I became. I do not know how the Lady Virtue Trevelyan drew me to her, a principle so preposterous that I assumed Arcane trickery at hand. It was not, which is what I had feared more.

Simply put, she did not care who I was despite her upbringing. Despite all she had been taught, she rebelled. Her kindness towards me was unexpected to say the least.

I recall her telling me she was uncomfortable with me posing as her serving man at Halamshiral, despite the necessity. I thought her reservations an act, knowing how the nobility typically treated elves. Still, we played the part well enough. She charmed me, and at first I blamed my lack of impulse control on being over served. I could not help but to kiss her after we had saved the Empress, her full, pink lips looked the definition of inviting. I wondered of their softness, and decided there I needed to know for myself. 

And so I kissed her and it was so divine that it terrified me.

After returning to the room I had been given for the night I paced the floor ceaselessly. I knew it had been ill-advised, reckless, dangerous even. The storm raged outside as it raged within in me and I felt my fortitude dissolve as I quietly stalked the empty halls to her room. I cursed her in words she could not grasp as I took her and she accepted with enthusiasm. 

Once I had her it became impossible to resist. As each time I tried to end it, I found myself in her bed and her in my arms. 

I'd sworn she caught on to my facade somehow as we journeyed through the Exalted Plains, before we had fallen in love. We stopped at an abandoned camp nestled in a cove and there she picked up a book, turning it over in her delicate hands before tucking it with her things. Later, she read it by the fire as she, the Iron Bull, Dorian, and I rested.  
"Is that the book you took from the cove?" Bull asked, jutting his jaw out towards her.  
"Yes, it is," she replied cheerfully. "It's about an Elven deity. I'm trying to learn more about history."  
"Which?" I asked, eyeing the book with suspicion. She kept her hand on the page and flipped the cover closed atop it.  
"Fen'Harel's Triumphs", she said, clumsily pronouncing the Elven. I felt the colour drain from my face as she read a passage from it.   
"I'm sure you already know all this," she smiled.  
"More Dalish inaccuracy," I said firmly and turned back to the fire. My dismissiveness aroused no suspicion, and she thankfully did not speak of it again. 

I became insatiable. I loved her and it pained me. I felt my wretched heart ache when she smiled discreetly at me from across the room, and I yearned to collapse into the ocean of pleasure in which she provided more and more.

Worse, I became immensely possessive and protective of her, as if she were made of glass. She was mine, my sweet Lady Virtue. I had seen the way other men gawked at her and wanted to blind them for it. Ever focused on my goals, Virtue remained in my peripheral always. 

All good things must end, this much as true. For there is no peace that I deserve. Greedily, I keep her still. I will have to leave her, and I am a coward for not doing it sooner. She stirs, a quiet sigh in her sleep. I want to wake her and ravish her, but her work is tiresome and I am content to watch her instead. My sweet Virtue.


End file.
